Tell HN: 3G sunsetting is remotely killing every Subaru Outback battery

Article summary

Subaru's STARLINK system, which relies on 3G connectivity, is causing batteries to drain in certain models, including the Outback, due to the sunsetting of 3G networks. The system's digital communications module gets stuck in an infinite loop, attempting to connect to non-existent 3G towers. This issue affects cars built between 2015 and 2020. A class action lawsuit has been filed regarding this problem.

Main themes

• 3G sunsetting
• STARLINK system
• battery drain
• Subaru Outback
• connected vehicles
• technological obsolescence
• customer experience

What commenters say

• The 3G sunsetting is causing Subaru batteries to drain due to a poorly designed STARLINK system.
• Some owners have experienced no issues with their batteries, suggesting that the problem may not be universal.
• The issue can be temporarily resolved by pulling the DCM fuse, but this comes with the cost of losing certain features.
• Others propose rewiring the DCM to only be powered when the ignition is on, which could prevent battery drain.
• The problem highlights the potential drawbacks of relying on cellular connectivity in vehicles.
• Some commenters believe that companies will continue to prioritize profits over customer needs, leading to more issues like this in the future.
• Others argue that the issue is not unique to Subaru and that other manufacturers have similar problems with their connected systems.
• A few commenters suggest that LTE-M/NB-IoT technology could provide a solution to this problem in the future.